Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
by charleybec
Summary: A secret gift given on Christmas Eve leads to some passion... A gift exchange story written for augiesannie. Please read and review. Thanks!


**Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree**

Maria crept out of the room and shut the door silently behind her. The hallway was dark and just as she was about to turn and head back to her room, she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder.

Maria jumped in fright. "Ahh!"

"Shh!" Georg hushed her, quickly clamping his hand over her mouth. When he was sure Maria wouldn't make another sound, he removed his hand.

Maria's heart was thudding loudly in her chest; still recovering from the fright Georg had given her. "Georg!" she berated him in hushed tones. "You scared me!"

Georg gave her his most charming smile. "Sorry, love. I was trying to be quiet. I didn't want to wake the children." He took her arm and began to lead her down the corridor where they could talk more freely without fear of waking up the children.

"No, especially since it's taken me this long to get them to sleep," Maria replied glancing back over her shoulder to the nursery door. "I thought they would all be exhausted after we went to midnight Mass tonight but no. Marta and little Gretl would not stop chattering, wondering what sorts of gifts they would receive. I've never seen seven children so excited and not wanting to go to sleep. Even Liesl!" Maria shook her head in bewilderment.

Georg chuckled. "Well, Christmas day is tomorrow and the thought of gifts and the food and everything else is just too thrilling. It's no wonder they don't want to go to sleep. Then they'll wake up tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn or even earlier wanting to open gifts straight away. I'm sure you remember what it was like as a child on Christmas Eve."

Maria shook her head sadly. "Actually no. I mean I remember Christmas as a child obviously, but we never had any extra money for gifts or fancy food or anything else. It was just a normal day like any other day, except we didn't have to do our chores. That was exciting!" she remarked sarcastically.

Suddenly Georg felt terrible bringing up Maria's sad and unhappy childhood. "Maria, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Oh no, it's all right," she waved him off with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "It's just one of those things, that's all. Even later on when I was at the Abbey, all we did to mark the occasion were going to extra church services. Oh and Sister Berthe would make her famous chocolate cake. I did look forward to that," she laughed. "But I suppose Christmas has never been that big a deal for me like it is for your family."

"You probably think we're a little silly with all our traditions and decorations and many gifts." Georg replied as they reached the landing near the front door and the stairs that would lead back upstairs to her governess room.

"Not at all! In fact," she stopped and ducked her head slightly, hoping that Georg wouldn't see the blush that was coming to her cheeks. "I'm looking forward to the family celebration. I mean, to be a part of a real family - I've never had that before."

Georg took her hands and brought them to his lips. "You _are_ a part of this family. Even though our wedding isn't for another month, the children already look upon you as their mother. And I…" he paused as he felt his heart beating like a drum in his chest. "Well, let's just say I can't wait until we are officially husband and wife."

"Oh Georg," she breathed as he leant forward and brushed his lips over hers lightly. As they parted, they exchanged a special smile before they both moved back in for a deeper kiss. It was that time of the day when they'd say goodnight to each other on the landing before they'd part to go to their individual rooms, and each night as their engagement progressed, both Maria and Georg would find it harder and harder to leave each other and say goodnight. That night was no exception.

"Maria," Georg murmured as he held her in his arms and placed feather-light kisses over her face. "I was hoping that I could perhaps show you something before we say goodnight?"

"What is it?" she asked as Georg guided her in the dark down the couple of steps from the landing down into the grand hallway and across to the parlour. He opened the door and stepped back to allow Maria to move into the room. He closed the door behind him quietly.

Maria turned to him with a confused look on her face. He silently gestured towards the large, fully decorated and lit up Christmas tree on the other side of the room.

"The tree?" she questioned, still confused. "Georg, I've seen the tree. I was there when the children decorated it several days ago. It is very lovely, but I don't understand."

"No, it's something I have for you _under_ the tree," Georg remarked as got down on his hands and knees and retrieved a brown paper package tied up with string. He stood up and handed it to her.

Maria glanced at the gift tag attached to the parcel. _To Maria, with all my love, Georg._ She let out a little chortle. "Georg, we've told the children time and time again. No gifts until Christmas morning. I'm sure I can wait a few more hours to open it with everyone else."

"Maria," Georg replied quietly. "This isn't the sort of gift I think you should be opening in front of the children, or anyone else in fact." Maria flicked her eyes upwards and they locked onto Georg's.

In the darkened room only illuminated by the glow of the Christmas lights on the tree, it was hard to see him face completely but he was looking at her so intensely and passionately that Maria felt her cheeks burn once again. She wondered what on earth could be inside that Georg didn't want anyone else to see.

Curious, she took off the string quickly. The brown paper was then removed and dropped on the floor as she looked at the elegant box in her hands. There was an emblem and foreign writing on the front of the box which she didn't recognize at all. She glanced back at Georg who nodded his approval for her to keep going.

She opened the box to discover a red garment of silk and lace inside. She placed the box down on the nearby table so she could examine the item more easily. She lifted it up – it was an exquisite, yet incredibly revealing negligée. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked back at Georg.

"Red?" she choked.

"I like red… a lot…" he replied, his voice low and husky. The look of desire on his face practically melted her on the spot. Her heart began to race and in the dim light, the atmosphere in the room felt electrifying.

"It's from Paris," Georg explained almost shyly. "I uh, probably should have waited to give it to you as a wedding present, but… I couldn't wait."

Maria held it up to her body. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

Georg moved closer to her and skimmed his hand over the negligée, pushing it up against the curves of her body. "And I have no idea if it even fits…" he admitted with a murmur. He knew just how much he wanted to see her dressed in the piece of sexy lingerie he'd bought for her.

With the way Georg was looking at her, the thud of Maria's heart in her chest sounded so loud that she could barely hear herself think. "Oh," Maria found herself saying, "perhaps I could try it on…?" But she didn't get to finish her train of thought for at that moment Georg kissed her. The negligée dropped to the ground and all sense of propriety and their agreement to wait until after the wedding was completely forgotten.

His body was on fire, blood roaring through his veins. Nothing in the world mattered apart from the soft body of his fiancée in his arms. Her lips were soft, luscious, _delectable_. He lightly licked her bottom lip, probing for an entry to her mouth. She didn't disappoint him at all. At once she responded to him, opening her mouth just a fraction, tongues touching momentarily. Letting out a gasp and a groan of longing, his lips met hers again, their kiss deepening.

 _More…_

Georg felt her hands slide from his shoulders to rest lazily around his neck. She pulled her face away from his for just a microsecond before she angled her face to the other side then leant back in and kissed him again passionately. His lips left hers to graze over her cheek, placing light feathery kisses all over her face, yet each kiss left a trail of heat in its wake. Maria let out a contented sigh, relishing the sensation of his touch as one hand caressed her cheek while his lips found their way from her face down her neck.

 _Yes…_

Sucking gently on the soft skin just below her jawbone, Georg heard his love gasp in delight, tilting her chin backwards just a fraction to allow him better access. As his kisses moved down to her the neckline of her dress, her fingertips weaved through his wavy hair. Maria twirled his dark locks around her pinky fingers, pulling his hair just slightly. Her hands then left his hair to run down the front of his chest and up to his tie. Her nimble fingers fiddled and played with the knot until the tie hung loose. The unfastening of the top buttons of his shirt then followed; her fingertips feeling like fire on his skin as she lightly stroked his bare chest up and down. Then pulling his face towards hers once again, Maria kissed him deeply. Simultaneously she reached for his jacket, tugging at the lapels, pulling the material out and upwards. Georg had to let go of her for a moment so she could shrug the jacket off his shoulders. It fell to the ground with a gentle thud. He smiled against her mouth.

 _Saucy little minx…_

Kissing her again, his mouth went everywhere: her lips, her chin, her cheek, her earlobe. Needing him greatly, she turned her face toward his again, her lips dragging across his cheek searching for his until she could claim his mouth in another kiss. Everything she was doing to him was wild, uninhibited, _erotic_. Maria laced her arms up under his and ran her fingertips up and down the back of his shirt, her touch tantalizingly light. Still kissing her, Georg rested his hands on her hips, holding her so close against him that she knew exactly how much he wanted her. With her eyes half-closed, she nipped at his mouth, her tongue gently flicking against his.

 _Want more, need more…_

Almost like she read his thoughts, Maria pressed her body instinctively hard against Georg's, causing him to stumble backwards. As she moved with him, they never broke their kiss. One, two, three steps and then his back hit the edge of the Christmas tree. The spikey branches poked into Georg's back through his thin shirt and the many decorations clinked together as the weight of their bodies against the tree caused the branches to move together. Georg groaned in pain for an instant. Maria let out a short giggle before she cupped his jaw and directed his mouth back towards hers, kissing him again. Slowly Georg worked his hands down her chest to her waistline, pulling her blouse up out of her skirt before the buttons of her blouse were undone in record time. He splayed his palms over her creamy skin, relishing in its softness as he caressed her breasts before moving down over her smooth, flat tummy to her hips.

Maria took another step forward and pressed her body even harder against Georg's. The tree behind them lurched slightly but both were so engrossed in their passionate kisses that neither noticed. Georg's lips crashed against Maria's and he moved his hands from her hips to place one hand on the small of her back, the other back on her breast. He caressed her nipple slowly through the material of her bra and she moaned softly at his touch. His hand moved from the small of her back to her bottom and under her legs, lifting her up off the ground.

But as Maria hoisted her legs around Georg's waist, the change in the distribution of their weights against the Christmas tree caused it to start falling backwards. Maria let out a yelp as Georg dropped her, stumbling backwards with the tree. Clumsily Georg flung one hand out, trying to catch the falling tree. He caught it with just his fingertips. Struggling to hold the weight of the tree from his awkward position, Georg called out, "Maria! Help me!"

Maria clambered around aside him through the many branches and caught hold of the tree trunk as well. A second later, Georg re-adjusted his grip and managed to steady the tree just before it fell completely to the ground. A couple of hard tugs later, Georg righted the tree back into its stand so that it was stable and not in danger of falling over again.

Maria and Georg scrambled out from under the branches of the Christmas tree, chests heaving up and down and completely out of breath. They stared at each other: both partially undressed and looking bedraggled with bits of pine leaves in their hair. Several ornaments had also fallen from the tree and were scattered the floor around the tree. At once they both burst out laughing.

Maria slapped one hand to her mouth to muffle the sounds of her hysterical giggles. "Oh Georg, that could have ended in disaster!" she managed to gasp as soon as she had controlled herself enough to be able to speak again. "Could you have imagined trying to explain to the children in the morning what had happened to their Christmas tree?"

Georg chuckled. "Something tells me they wouldn't believe it if we said the _'spirit of Christmas'_ destroyed their tree."

"But, we could hardly tell them we knocked it over in an act of passion, could we?"

They both laughed again before Georg stopped and looked at Maria seriously. "I'm sorry Maria. I don't know what came over me."

"The same thing that came over me, I suppose," Maria replied with a grin. "There is no need to apologise, darling. I want to be with you just as much as you want to be with me." Maria placed a chaste kiss on Georg's lips. She then bent down and picked up the forgotten negligée and placed it back in its box. "But we should wait. Perhaps I should put this away safely until our honeymoon?" Georg nodded in agreement. They quickly redressed and replaced the scattered ornaments back on the tree.

"Just promise me one thing," Maria remarked as they left the parlour hand-in-hand and the gift box tucked up under her other arm.

"What's that?" Georg asked.

"They'll be no Christmas trees, or potted plants or anything of the sort to knock over on our honeymoon."

Georg let out a laugh as they paused on the landing. "Deal. But what do you think about an expensive hotel, a large bed, room service and two months of absolute privacy instead?"

Maria smiled brightly. "Sounds perfect. I can't wait."

"Neither can I."

The large grandfather clock on the other side of the grand hallway struck two. Georg groaned. "Two am. I suspect the children will be awake in approximately three to four hours time no doubt barging in on either one of us demanding we get up to open gifts. I think we should call it a night."

Georg kissed her lightly on her lips before they parted. They said goodnight then both began to ascend their respective staircases leading to their individual rooms. Georg stopped half way up, turned and called out to her. "Merry Christmas, Maria."

Maria called back. "Merry Christmas, Georg."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The following morning Georg sat on the sofa in the corner of the parlour, a large cup of coffee in his hand nursing the raging headache he had. True to his prediction, the children woke up extremely early: the boys barging into his room to wake him up, the girls into Maria's. Even though they had both tried to convince the children to go back to sleep until it was a more sensible hour, it was clear very quickly that the children had no interest in sleep and it made more sense to get up and get the gift opening over and done with as quickly as possible. Thankfully no evidence remained of their late night encounter with the Christmas tree although Georg could have sworn he heard Brigitta remark to Louisa that she thought some of the decorations had been moved since the day before. _Really, that girl does notice everything!_

As Georg watched the children happily playing with their new gifts of dolls, trains, board games, books and dresses, Maria slinked over and slid down next to him on the sofa. "Happy?" she asked him.

He kissed her on the cheek. "Very. Happiest Christmas in a very long time, and it's all because of you." Georg took her hand and raised her fingertips to his lips. "Although I would have appreciated a little more sleep. This headache is horrible." He grimaced.

"I'm sorry," Maria soothed, running one hand lightly over his forehead.

They sat together watching the children laugh and joke as they shared and compared gifts. "The children seem very pleased with all their gifts," Maria stated, nodding her head towards them. "I, ah, was very pleased with my gift too last night," she added, lowering her voice somewhat. "But it made my gift to you of a new tie seem rather pathetic in comparison, I'm sorry."

"Nonsense," Georg reassured her. "I happen to love the tie you gave me. And it has the added advantage that I get to wear it now while you'll have to wait to use your gift." He playfully tapped her on the tip her nose with his finger.

"Well actually…" Maria began before she stopped herself. Georg sat more upright in his seat and looked at her quizzically. Maria blushed. "All right," she started to explain. "Last night, after we went to bed… I, uh, tried it on."

"And?" Georg's mouth went dry at the thought of Maria wearing the sexy red negligée he'd bought for her.

Maria licked her lips and giggled. "Oh you're going to _love it_ and I think red is now my new favourite colour."

 ** _A/N: I blame ThePoorDidntWantThisOne entirely for the title of this story (LOL) and for suggesting several weeks ago that I write something where sexy time leads to Christmas trees being knocked over. Thanks also to lemacd who reminded me that augiesannie likes negligées that are red ;)_**

 ** _Augiesannie, I hope you enjoyed this story I wrote for you. Happy gift exchange! xx charleybec. I hope everyone else enjoyed this story too. Please review! Reviews are fabulous!_**


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